Public Relations, Publicity, and Extension/Outreach Activities
Public relations, publicity, and extension activities are essential functions for libraries and information centres to connect with their communities, promote their services, and demonstrate their value. While Public Relations (PR) is a broad strategic function focused on building and maintaining a positive image, publicity refers to the specific methods used to gain public attention. Extension and Outreach Activities are proactive efforts to take library services beyond the physical walls of the institution to the community, particularly to underserved groups.
1. Public Relations and Publicity
Public Relations is a planned and strategic management function. It is defined as the "deliberate planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its public". For libraries, PR is vital for building and sustaining a positive image, ensuring that their services are perceived as valuable, and attracting and retaining users. Effective PR helps prepare the ground for marketing activities and protects the library's interests when dealing with outside groups like government officials and community stakeholders.
Publicity is a key component of public relations. It involves the various activities undertaken to promote the library and its services to the public. Library associations, for instance, engage in library publicity to promote the library movement and make people more "library conscious".
PR and Publicity Programs:
The sources identify several programs and activities that fall under the umbrella of public relations and publicity:
- Media Engagement: This includes organizing media meetings and press conferences, issuing press releases and feature articles, and arranging programs for TV and radio broadcasting, including interviews with important individuals.
- Publications: Preparing special brochures, information kits, and publications to inform the public about the library's services and mission is a core PR activity.
- Promotional Events: Organizing events like a National Library Week, book fairs, and exhibitions to promote reading and library use.
- Reporting and Communication: Keeping authorities and the public informed about the library’s performance, achievements, and shortfalls is a crucial function that builds trust and maintains good relations.
- Visual Media: Designing and producing documentaries to highlight the library's contributions and tell its story.
- Audience Research: Conducting research programs to assess different audiences and understand their perceptions of the library.
2. Extension and Outreach Activities
Extension activities, often called outreach programmes in a library context, involve the proactive transfer of knowledge, technology, and practical information from an institution directly to the community, especially to those at the grassroots level who may not otherwise access library services. The primary goal is to ensure that the benefits of research and knowledge reach all levels of society for social and economic development and to attract people to use the library's resources.
Modern Integrated Library Systems (ILS) often include modules that support outreach through features like community information services, library blogs, and social networking integration.
Facets and Methods of Extension/Outreach:
Direct Community Engagement:
- Extension Workers: A key method involves using extension workers (e.g., in agriculture or public health) who act as intermediaries to transfer research results from the laboratory to the field. They use methods like lectures and demonstrations to educate rural and often illiterate or semi-literate populations.
- Mobile Library Services: Developing mobile library services to reach rural and remote communities.
- Satellite Offices: Opening satellite offices to serve remote areas and make services more accessible.
- Community Events: Organizing events like book exhibitions and sales, often with the help of groups like "Friends of the library".
In-Library Promotional and Guidance Services:
- Readers Advisory Service: This is an important extension activity where library staff provide reading guidance to individuals to motivate them and inculcate good reading habits.
- Reading Promotion: Activities such as story-telling and book talks are especially useful in school libraries to encourage a love for reading from a young age.
- Seminars and Training: Organizing seminars, workshops, and training courses for the community is another form of outreach.
Information Repackaging for Extension:
- A crucial aspect of extension is creating repackaged information products that are tailored to the needs and comprehension levels of specific target groups. This is particularly important for users for whom conventional print formats are a barrier, such as illiterates.
- These products can take the form of documentary films, manuals, posters, and brochures designed to be easily understood. For example, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has an Agricultural Extension Division that produces documentary films on farmer-friendly technologies to be used by extension workers.